The present invention relates to protective equipment for hockey and other such sporting activities. More specifically, the invention relates to leg pads capable of being adjusted to conform to the anatomies of differently sized players.
In recent years, security has become an issue of ever-increasing importance in professional and amateur sports. Sports such as hockey are rapidly evolving and becoming more physically demanding since players tend to be faster and stronger than before. Consequently, protective equipment such as leg pads must also evolve to better suit the needs of today""s players
Conventional wisdom has to date dictated that hockey leg pads include a flexible padded liner of elongated shape that extends along a front portion of the wearer""s leg. The padded liner, more precisely, extends from the ankle to above the knee (note that commonly used jargon such as xe2x80x9cshin guardsxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cshin padsxe2x80x9d are therefore slightly misleading due to the fact that protection of the knee is also provided) and is connected by sewing, riveting, and the like to rigid or semi-rigid shield members such as a rigid plastic knee shield and a rigid plastic shin shield. Straps featuring hooks and loops type fasteners are provided to minimize motion of the leg pad while in use.
A deficiency typically associated with traditional leg pads can be attributed to the growth of young players"" limbs. Young players frequently outgrow their equipment from one year to the next. Thus, leg pads which fit a player one year might not necessarily fit the following year. This can result in a potentially hazardous situation since the leg pads used do not offer the level of protection that is frequently required in contact sports such as hockey. The latter problematic is compounded by the fact that leg pads and hockey equipment in general can be fairly expensive. As a result, young players might attempt to keep their leg pads as long as possible.
The use of traditional leg pads in situations other than that described above can also present some risks. Although players of higher caliber, for example, generally possess their own equipment, lower caliber players who play on an infrequent basis are often tempted to borrow or rent equipment rather than purchase it. This situation can become problematic because these players may therefore be using inadequately sized equipment and, as a result, the possibilities of incurring an injury increase.
There is therefore a need in the sports industry for leg pads that can offer enhanced levels of protection and comfort as required by contemporary athletes and that can also be adjusted to better accommodate differently sized players.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an adjustable leg pad assembly which overcomes some of the disadvantages of the prior art.
In accordance with a first broad aspect, the invention provides an adjustable leg pad assembly comprising a knee shield, a shin shield, an intermediary portion, a liner, a shield extension, an adjustable liner, and fasteners for joining the adjustable liner and the liner. The intermediary portion is positioned between the knee shield and the shin shield while the liner is fixedly connected to the knee shield, the shin shield, and the intermediary portion. The shield extension is adjustably mounted on an interior portion of the shin shield and extends from a lower portion of the latter. The adjustable liner, which is adapted to be releasably mounted to the liner, includes connection means to enable its coupling to the shield extension. Moreover, the fasteners are capable of varying the positioning of the liner and the adjustable liner relative to one another. In a specific example of implementation, the adjustable liner and the shield extension are concurrently movable relative to the liner and the shin shield.
Advantageously, the shield extension is substantially rigid and includes at least one prong, while the connection means include at least one fastening flap that is capable of being folded back in order to define a recess wherein the prong is capable of being inserted, thereby effecting the coupling of the adjustable liner and the shield extension.
Continuing with this example of implementation, the fasteners include hooks and loops fasteners that are respectively disposed along an outer surface of the adjustable liner and an inner surface of the liner. Preferably, the hooks and loops fasteners are of elongated shape.
Advantageously, the adjustable leg pad assembly comprises guiding means to direct the relative positioning of the shield extension and the shin shield. More specifically, the guiding means include a slot which is located on the shield extension and which is adapted to sliding receive therein a projection extending from the shin shield. Motion of the projection within the slot results in the variation of the positioning of the adjustable liner and the shield extension relative to that of the shin shield.
Under a second broad aspect, the invention provides an adjustable leg pad assembly comprising a leg pad, a liner, a shield extension, an adjustable liner, and fasteners for joining the adjustable liner and the liner. The liner is fixedly connected to the leg pad while the shield extension is capable of being movably mounted on an interior portion of the leg pad. The adjustable liner, which is adapted to be releasably mounted to the liner, includes connection means that are adapted to enable its coupling to the shield extension. Moreover, the fasteners are capable of varying the positioning of the liner and the adjustable liner relative to one another.
In a specific example of implementation, the adjustable liner and the shield extension are concurrently movable relative to the liner and the shin shield. Advantageously, the shield extension is substantially rigid and includes at least one prong, while the connection means include at least one fastening flap that is capable of being folded back in order to define a recess wherein the prong is capable of being inserted, thereby effecting the coupling of the adjustable liner and the shield extension.
The fasteners include hooks and loops fasteners that are respectively disposed along an outer surface of the adjustable liner and an inner surface of the liner. Preferably, the hooks and loops fasteners are of elongated shape.
Advantageously, the adjustable leg pad assembly comprises guiding means to direct the relative positioning of the shield extension and the leg pad. More specifically, the guiding means include a slot which is located on the shield extension and which is adapted to slidingly receive therein a projection extending from the leg pad. Motion of the projection within the slot results in the variation of the positioning of the adjustable liner and the shield extension relative to that of the leg pad.
Under a third broad aspect, the invention provides an adjustable leg pad assembly comprising a knee shield, a shin shield, an intermediary portion, a liner, a shield extension, and an adjustable liner. The intermediary portion is connected to the knee shield and the shin shield while the liner is fixedly connected to the knee shield, the shin shield, and the intermediary portion. The shield extension is adjustably mounted on an interior portion of the shin shield and extends from a lower portion of the latter. The adjustable liner, which is adapted to be releasably mounted to the liner, includes connection means that enable its coupling to the shield extension.
Under yet another broad aspect, the invention provides an adjustable leg pad assembly comprising a leg pad, a liner, a shield extension, and an adjustable liner. The liner is fixedly connected to the leg pad while the shield extension is adjustably mounted on an interior portion of the leg pad and extends from a lower portion of the latter. The shield extension is also integrally mounted onto the adjustable liner while the adjustable liner is adapted to be releasably mounted to the liner, and includes connection means that enable its coupling to the shield extension.
Other aspects and features of the present invention will become apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art upon review of the following description of specific embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying figures.